For centuries, theft and burglary have plagued homeowners and business people. Sophisticated electronic equipment, such as motion detectors, door and window alarms, and video cameras, may be purchased and installed in a person's home or business to protect against the theft of valuable goods. This equipment is typically very expensive, but it is not fool proof. For example, video cameras cannot monitor every nook and cranny of a warehouse or storage room and video tapes may be stolen. Additionally, motion detectors, window alarms and door alarms must be turned off during a business' hours of operation.
As a result, many object specific alarm components have been invented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,827, which issued in 1993 to Allen et al. for an invention entitled "Alarm Apparatus For Handgun Security" (the "'827 patent"), discloses an alarm component for detecting the removal of a handgun from a plate where the handgun is kept for quick accessibility.
The device of the '827 patent includes one or more force sensors which are embedded between an upper plate and a lower plate. After placing a handgun on the upper plate, the owner must adjust two variable resistors to define a zone which encompasses the force exerted by the mass of the handgun. When the handgun is removed, the alarm is sounded. This alarm component is effective, but includes excessive electronics and is difficult to adjust to account for handguns of different weights. Moreover, the '827 patent is unable to account for incremental shifts in weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,316, which issued in 1992 to Lazzara for an invention entitled "Capacitance Change Article Removal Alarm" (the "'316 patent"), discloses an alarm component For detecting the removal of an object from a location where the object is to be protected. The device of the '316 patent includes a compressible detection pad composed of an upper conducting plate, a lower conducting plate, and a dielectric layer separating these plates.
When an object is placed on the compressible detection pad of the '316 patent, a portion of the dielectric layer is compressed and the alarm is set. When the object is removed from the device of the '316 patent, the dielectric layer expands and the capacitance between the two conducting plates changes. The alarm circuitry detects this change in capacitance and an alarm is sounded. Unfortunately, the device of the '316 patent may be easily defeated. Additionally, the '316 patent includes excessive electronics, but may not account for incremental shifts in weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,088, which issued in 1981 to Pierson et al. for an invention entitled "Portable Alarm System" (the "'088 patent"), discloses an alarm component for detecting the removal of an object, such as a sculpture, from a pedestal where it is kept for display purposes. The device of the '088 patent includes an alarm system having a base member with a top spring-loaded plunger extending from the upper surface of the base member and a bottom spring-loaded plunger extending from the lower surface of the base member. The bottom plunger is depressed by placing the base member on a table or pedestal and the top plunger is depressed by placing an object on top of the base member over the top plunger.
If the protected object is removed from the base member of the '088 patent or the base member is removed from the table or pedestal, an alarm is triggered. This alarm component is effective, but not fool-proof. The plunger switches may be defeated by slipping a thin object between the top-plunger and the protected object or the bottom plunger and the table or pedestal. Additionally, the '088 patent does not include a means for adjusting the spring-loaded plungers to account for objects with different weight. The '088 patent also does not include a means which would account for incremental shifts in weight.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which may be used to protect specific valuables from being stolen. It is another object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which may be easily adjusted to account for objects of different weights. It is another object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which may be adjusted to account for incremental shifts in weight. It is another object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which may not be easily defeated. It is another object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which may be easily incorporated into existing alarm systems. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an alarm component which is relatively easy to manufacture, relatively easy to install, and is comparatively cost effective.